And thos



UNITED STATES J. J. G. COLLINS, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORTO J. J. G. COLLINS, WM

A. RHODES, AND THOS. DRAKE, OF SAME PLACE.

STEAM-ENGIN E.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 21,165, dated August 10, 1858.

To aZZ whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, J oHN J. G. COLLINS, of the city of Philadelphia andState of Pennsylvania, have invented a Steam-Regenerating Engine; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being hadY to the accompanyingdrawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention consist-s in combining together for joint action, a cooler,regenerator and steam engine, said regenerator being constructed andoperated substantially in the manner set forth hereafter, and beingfurnished with devices herein described or their equivalents, in orderthat supplies of steam from the cooler may be received into theregenerator, there retained until superheated, then delivered to theengine at in tervals regulated by the movement of the latter, and fromthence pass againto the cooler, thence to the regenerator and so on, aslong as the superheating of the steam takes place and as long as theengine revolves.

The objects of my invention are economy of fuel by using the same steamover and over again, and the avoidance of the usual cumbrous boilerarrangement.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to make and use myinvention, I will now proceed to describe its construction andoperation.

On reference to the drawing which forms a part of this specification-Figure l is a ground plan illustrating my steam regenerating engine;Fig. 2 a section on the line 1, 2, (Fig. l); Fig. 3 a section on theline 3, 4, (Fig. l) Fig. 4 a section on the line 5,6, (Fig. 1).

A is an ordinary steam engine, which, although illustrated in thedrawing as one of the horizontal class, may be of any of the ordinaryforms, having the usual steam chest a and slide valve b. j

B is a strong, plate iron vessel of a cylindrical or other convenientform.

C is the exhaust pipe communicating with the vessel B, and furnished,near the engine, with a valve by operating which the exhaust pipe may bemade to communicate with the external atmosphere. Another pipe, D,communicates with the vessel, B,

and with the regenerator, in the manner set forth hereafter.

The regenerator is constructed as follows: E and E are two, circular,steamtight chambers, divided into live, steamtight compartments, asillustrated in Fig. 3, and there marked respectively 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5,the fifth one being in the center, and not communicating with the otherfour, excepting at certain intervals during t-he movements of theengine, as described hereafter. The compartment 5 of the chamber Ecommunicates with the steam-chest of the engine through the pipe F, thelatter being attached to, or forming a part of, the metal, whichcomposes the compartment 5, and the steam-chest being furnished with theordinary stufling box, so that the pipe may revolve therein without anyleakage of the steam. From the compartment 5 of the opposite chamberprojects a pipe G, through which passes the end of the pipe D, the pipeG being also furnished with a stufling box, in order to prevent leakageas it revolves on the end of the pipe D. The bearing of the pipe F is onthe pillar I-I, and that of the pipe G, on the pillar H. Between thecompartments l, 2, 3 and 4 of the opposite chambers E and E, are securedaseries of tubes e, e. The opposite compartments 5 and 5 have each fouropenings, each opening communicating with one of the compartments l, 2,3 or 4,' and being furnished with a valve, opening inward into one ofthe compartments, the valves being furnished with spindles d, which passthrough stuffing boxes z', their ends being guided by brackets securedto the outside of the steam chambers.

The above described portion of the regenerator is that which revolves,motion being communicated `to it from the engine by any system ofgearing, which the locality of the engine as regards that of theregenerator may dictate, providing that the regenerator makes onecomplete revolution for two complete revolutions of the crank-shaft ofthe engine.

The several valves above described are operated as follows: From each ofthe valve spindles, projects a pin 7c (Fig. l) fitting int-o the grooveof the guides K, one of which is permanently secured to each of theopposite pillars H and H. It Will be observed, on reference to Fig. 2,that the guide K is nearly circular, and concentric With the center ofrotation of the regenerator,

.there being but a small portion, at the top,

eccentric With the same, this portion forming an elevation in thegroove, Which, operating on the pins '70 of the valve spindles insuccession, raises them at the particular points hereafter set forth,and allows a communication to take place between one of the compartmentsl, 2, 3 or 4, and the central compartment 5, and, through the pipe l?,With the steam chest of the engine, the valves at the opposite side ofthe regenerator being operated in a similar manner, but at differentintervals.

X is a boiler having a Water space on all sides, With the exception ofthe necessary openings for the fire door ash pit y under the fire grateo and for the chimney a. A circular opening is formed through thisboiler, so as to admit the two steam chambers E and E', Which revolve inclose, but not actual, contact with the openings. A pipe Y forms acommunication between the p boiler X and the vessel B.

The object of the revolving regenerator is to surcharge the steam,admitted to it through the pipe D from the vessel B, which I term thecooler. It Will be easily seen,

' that this is effected by the exposure of the tubes e e to the actionof the fire Within the boiler, the revolving of the regenerator causingevery portion of the tubes to be thoroughly heated. The object of thevalves on one side of the regenerator is to admit a supply of steam toeach of the four compartments in succession, and the object of thevalves on the opposite side, to discharge the surcharged steam of eachcompartment in succession into the steam chest of the engine. The valveguides are so formed, that the opening and closing of the valves shalltake place as follows: Supposing the regenerator to revolve in thedirection of the arrovv, and to have arrived at the position shown inFig. 3, the compartment l will be in the act of discharging its hithertoconfined and surcharged steam into the chest a of the cylinder. Thecompartment 2 has, by the rapid opening and closing of the valves on theopposite sides of the regenerator, been filled with steam from thecooler through the pipe D. The compartment 3 is situated directly overthe lire, and its steam, previously obtained from the cooler B, is inthe act of being surcharged. The compartment 4 also contains steam inthe act of being surcharged, and Will be the next to discharge itssurcharged steam into the steam chest of the engine as the regeneratorrevolves. It Will be thus seen, that each compartment in successionobtains a supply of steam from the cooler, Which supply is, duringthreefourths of the revolution of the regenerator, confined, exposed tothe action of the fire, and thus thoroughly surcharged, and that eachv"compartment in succession discharges its surc'harged steam into thelchest of the engine. The slide valve of the engine is so regulated,that this surcharged steam of one compartment shall be admitted to thecylinder so as to act upon the piston throughout, or nearly throughoutone half of the revolution of the engine. When the next compartment ofsurcharged steam is about to act on the opposite side of the piston, soas to complete the other half of the revolution, the steam Which hadpreviously exerted its pressure to complete the first half, and Whichhas now been expanded and consequently lessened in temperature andpressure, passes olf through the pipe C into the cooler B, Where it isstill further cooled, prior to being again admitted to the regenerator,and there again surcharged, prior to being again admitted to the engine,and from thence again passed to the cooler, and this alternate cooling,confining and surcharging of the steam,

and its action on the engine are continued as long as the latter moves,and as long as the regenerator is submitted to the action of the fire.

The boiler X, Which is furnished With a small feed apparatus, forms noespecial portion of this invention, it being introduced merely as ameans of supplying, through the pipe Y, sufhcient steam to make up forthe loss caused by leakage, and by the stopping and starting of theengine.

It Will now be seen, that the adoption of the above described apparatusmust result in the economizing of fuel by using the same steam over andover again, and also that the usual extensive boiler arrangements ofother engines are dispensed with.

The general features of the apparatus and t-he general disposition ofthe several parts must, of necessity, be changed or modified, accordingto the locality in which they are situated. Thus when used for marinepurposes, the arrangement must be very different from that of theapparatus when used on land. It Will also be apparent, that the coolermay consist of a vessel of any convenient form other than that shown,and may be situated at any moderate distance from the regenerator, andthat the supplementary boiler for supplying the loss by leakage may, ifnecessary, be situated apart Y forth, and When it is furnished With thede- In testimony whereof, I have signed my vices speeied, or anyequivalent to the same, name to this specication before tWo subby meansof Which it receives a supply of scribing Witnesses.

steam from the cooler, retains until it is JOHN J.` Gr. COLLINS. 5superheated, and delivers it to the engine, at Witnesses:

intervals regulated by the movements of the HENRY HowsoN,

latter. HENRY ODroRNE.

